IJWEP 09

Chapter 9…..

However, no answer came back.

The familiar voice, which usually drifted away when it begged not to be called and asked to be allowed to rest in peace, was nowhere to be heard.

“Haha… ha…”

Chunlang let out a hollow laugh and slowly allowed his energy to slacken. The redness that had colored the area returned to normal, as it always did.

A soul summoned by the Clear Noble Sound cannot ignore a call.

But if the soul is neither called nor responds, it means that the soul is not in the afterlife.

In other words, it had either been reincarnated and returned to the mortal world or was still alive.

“So it’s really… in Dang Baek-seon’s body…”

My master?

The moment he spoke the truth aloud, everything that had been confusing began to make sense rapidly.

The reason the heir of the Dang family’s martial skills had gone awry. The reason he had forgotten the family’s heart method and even where he had come from.

All of it had happened because, at some point, his master had taken over Dang Baek-seon’s body.

“Haha… hahahaha! Hahahaha!”

Chunlang laughed as if losing his mind.

The calm, complex emotions rippled through him, stirring an overwhelming feeling.

Now everything made sense.

Why his emotions surged whenever he saw Dang Baek-seon. Why words that could have come from his master had emerged from Dang Baek-seon’s mouth.

But fear followed immediately.

“What if he blames me…?”

His fingertips trembled from the guilt of having placed his master in such a frail body.

Whether Man Yugang had entered that body of his own will or because Dang Baek-seon had intruded like an uninvited guest on the day the Soul Summoning Great Method was performed, he did not know.

In any case, he had failed to fully revive Man Yugang. Chunlang, gnawing at his nails in anxiety, shook his head.

“…It’s fine as long as he doesn’t find out.”

His master wouldn’t know how he had opened his eyes in someone else’s body. Even if it was Man Yugang, he would not know the martial arts of Blood Sect.

“I know nothing.”

If Dang Baek-seon’s body was weak, he would protect it. No more slacking as before, and he would tear apart anyone who hurt him.

If so… no one could come between him and his master.

“Master… Master…”

Realizing that Man Yugang had returned to life, all fear seemed to vanish. Even if there were many secrets and great sins, it felt as though everything could be forgiven.

Chunlang, whose expression shifted constantly, suddenly stiffened with a thought.

“But… why didn’t my master…”

Why hadn’t he revealed his identity to him?

“Even if I hadn’t recognized him, my master surely recognized me…”

Why?

Could it be that he wanted to keep his distance? To pretend not to know him, watching how he lived, and leave if he wasn’t ready as a disciple?

Just as a creeping dark emotion tried to rise, Chunlang remembered what he had done to Dang Baek-seon.

He had suddenly grabbed his neck, threatened him, even pretending to be his master, and mocked him as an idiot.

“…I suppose he couldn’t do otherwise.”

He had always been sensitive whenever Man Yugang was involved.

But now, if he suddenly changed his attitude and called out “Master!”, that would also be wrong. If he revealed that Man Yugang was inside Dang Baek-seon’s body…

“…He might find out that I summoned my master’s soul.”

Chunlang held his breath, recalling Dang Baek-seon’s behavior toward him.

Whenever an intruder came to the cave, Chunlang had killed them and used them as ingredients for the Soul Summoning Great Method.

It was natural that no trace of them remained. Anyone who had trained in martial arts would know that the surrounding energy had become dense.

But Baek-seon had asked nothing.

‘If he were truly Dang Baek-seon, he would have been too weak to think of such things…’

Even if the body had weakened, the person inside was Chunlang’s master, Man Yugang. He must have known, yet remained silent.

“Could it be…?”

“…He was planning to leave.”

So he had wanted to leave his side?

Did he notice something?

There had been something Man Yugang had insisted he should never do while alive: every life must die, and it is the natural order. To break that order is forbidden.

But Chunlang had defied that order. He had risked countless sacrifices to summon Man Yugang’s soul and had learned the hated martial arts of the Blood Sect to ultimately save him.

Yet, he still couldn’t revive him in a proper body…

“Until now, I’ve taught you wrongly. Go. You are no longer my disciple.”

He might hear such cruel words.

‘I must not let him find out.’

That he had broken the order and summoned Man Yugang’s soul.

‘Then…’

He would pretend not to know.

Pretend not to know that his master was inside Dang Baek-seon’s body.

Still, there would be occasional moments when Man Yugang’s traits surfaced. In those moments, he would approach and say, “Seeing you reminds me of my master,” stirring his fragile heart.

Yes, pretending not to know might even make it easier to reveal the deep, shameful feelings long buried.

“…Wait.”

While finishing his thoughts and tidying his surroundings, Chunlang froze at a sudden wave of unease.

‘How long has it been since I left the inn?’

He had frantically climbed the mountain, checked his master’s corpse, and performed the Clear Noble Sound. At least a whole day must have passed.

“Master.”

Chunlang hurriedly turned and left the area. Though he had restored energy to his body yesterday, by now its effect must have worn off.

‘If he truly is my master, that coldness…’

It wasn’t residual energy but the side effect of someone dead coming back to life.

After Chunlang hurriedly ran out of the cave,

Below the pond, in a quiet space, a hand that had long been asleep moved slightly.

After a long while,

“…Ah, I fell asleep for a moment.”

The man lying on the bed slowly moved his body.

He clenched and opened his hands a few times, murmuring to himself:

“It seems the one who misused my body is still in this world…”

His heavy, alien voice filled the cave.

“Well, shall I go see his face?”

One who should not exist in this world moved his body slowly.

“Huff… huff…”

Baek-seon staggered along the path, leaning against a large tree. His legs felt numb, and every breath seemed to freeze his lungs from within.

He had expected his body might show signs of strain on the way to Sacheon, but he hadn’t anticipated the depletion of yang energy would happen so quickly.

“Heh heh heh… why don’t you stop bothering me and just stand there? Haven’t you realized there’s no use running by now?”

“Look at your appearance… did you think I wouldn’t notice if you disguised yourself as a man?”

“And if I sell you out, I’ll pay handsomely, right?”

On top of everything, he ran into thieves on the street. They seemed to perceive him as a woman disguised as a man traveling alone.

“Haa…”

Nothing like this had happened during his time as Man Yugang. But with Dang Baek-seon’s unusually beautiful face, these odd situations occurred.

“…Well, with that face, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstandings anyway.”

Baek-seon muttered, and the approaching men smirked.

What should he do?

Fingering the hidden weapons in his sleeve, Baek-seon slowly surveyed them.

‘Running isn’t an option.’

With his dantian in this condition, he couldn’t use martial arts. Even with hidden weapons, he couldn’t channel internal energy. Reckless movement would only provoke them further.

‘Should I use poison?’

Baek-seon touched the poison hidden in his sleeve.

‘All I have are deadly poisons…’

He wanted to use poison on them, but he didn’t know how immune Dang Baek-seon might be. Using it recklessly could backfire.

“Heh heh heh…”

While Baek-seon hesitated, they stepped closer.

As a large hand reached for him—

BANG!

With a loud crash, one of them flew into a tree.

“W-what…!”

The others looked around in shock.

“My words seem to fall on deaf ears, Dang Baek-seon.”